Let's not pretend that CCS is even remotely an option for those of us who live outside CA. I considered getting a Bolt for about as long as it took me to google the charging options between where I live in Minneapolis and my parents home in NE Wisconsin. 238 miles of range in great as long as you're OK with your 280 mile trip home for Christmas taking 3 days.
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My Quick Bolt Review
- Thread starter Cosmacelf
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- Electric Vehicles
Depends completely on the region, though. Superchargers are not everywhere either. Not to diminish Tesla's achievement, just to be real about it.
But most importantly a lot of people will still find an ICE most convenient for long distance driving and use that instead. Large-battery BEV's greatest use is the daily driving with home/work charging.
Realistically, the latter is Bolt's audience.
I had a quick test drive in a Bolt on Saturday, at an EV event. Like the OP, I liked driving it. Quick, peppy, strong regenerative braking, good headroom and outward visibility. I did not have a long enough ride to get a sense of the ride on rough pavement or at highway speed. As for the seats, I did feel as if the bolsters were a bit too snug. Also, I am not clear on why they regen braking has the complexity of two ranges (on the gear shift) plus the paddles. (Similar complexity on the Leaf, which I also test drove that day.) At first blush, it is a nicer driving car than the Leaf, with lots more range.
Seems like a great commuter car, and I wish them well.
Seems like a great commuter car, and I wish them well.
General Motors teamed up to produce the EV drive components with LG and Bosch, and perhaps others. The chassis is American, not Korean like the Spark EV.
There have been many cases of this. GM+Toyota, GM+Honda, GM+MercuryMarine, GM+Isuzu, GM+Daewoo, GM+Ford, GM+Ford+Dodge, etc.
Extra Credit Trivia - What car did Ford and Yamaha co-produce?
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This is where a group of VW engineers and managers deciding to flagrantly violate the law may turn in to the best thing to every happen to (non-Tesla) EVs.
The lack of fast charging is unquestionably an issue in much of the country right now - but thanks to VW settlement mandated investments it probably won't be much of an issue in a few years.
The Bolt EV isn't a Tesla, but it'll be fully capable of taking roadtrips at a moderate pace with VW's help.
Yes, the 4v DOHC engine was built by Mercury Marine. The 1990-1995 C4 version of the ZR1 held the record for average speed and distance covered in 24 hours for 11 years. It was beaten by a 12 cylinder VW concept car in 2001. The showroom Corvette had a safety cage, fire system, and a transmission cooler (which proved unnecessary). The VW was all hand built parts never used in production.
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Well, Tesla is more vertically integrated than most car companies today but they still have lots of parts and technology suppliers including many from outside the US.
I would say the Bolt EV is mostly "Korean" but that includes GM Korea where the body/chasis design was done. I believe most of the powertrain except for the battery was designed by GM and mostly in Michigan. Even the battery pack appears to have been collaboratively developed with GM since it is structurally part of the body design. I was told the circuit board that monitors and controls cell balancing is basically the same as the one in the 2nd generation Volt.
Options can be good to have. I use all of the above in my daily driving. It quickly becomes natural but, of course, nobody is forced to use anything more than a single mode.
The 'D' mode will be most familiar to new EV owners coming from an ICE and it's useful for temporary drivers such as parking valets.
Even for me, low regen mode ('D') is useful while parking at low speed in the garage. I mostly drive in high regen mode ('L') which has regen about as strong as a Model S (although the Bolt will smoothly take the car to a full stop).
The regen paddle on the steering wheel makes regen even stronger, when needed, without the need to switch to the brake peddle in most situations -- I wouldn't want regen on the 'go' peddle to be that strong by itself normally. I'm sure Tesla could also regen stronger on the 'go' peddle but they also didn't want to make it stronger without some separate user action than just the 'go' pedal alone.
The chassis is assembled in America rather than in Korea like the Spark EV. However, both the Spark EV and the Bolt EV chassis/body designs were done in Korea.
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Yeah, while we all love driving Tesla's because of the single peddle driving, now two different EV manufacturers have improved on it. Both the BMW i3 and the Chevy Bolt have better single peddle driving systems since they both allow the car to come to a full stop. The Bolt steering wheel paddle to give it even more regen is a nice added touch too.
Is it possible that the Bolt actually uses power from the battery to brake so hard with the paddles? Maybe put the motor into reverse, in effect? It felt as if there was real strength behind that paddle-actuated brake, which made me wonder. The salesman was vague.
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
IIRC, all cars today with stability control have the ability to electrically operate their brakes. The first car I tracked with such a system was the Active Handling version of the Corvette, which became a standard feature about 2001.
My robotic laboratory machines have electric motors with no brakes, and can stop a >2,200lb superstructure abruptly by motor phasing alone. So even an electric motor with no brakes can stop motion to 0.00 mm/sec on command, either gently or aggressively. When it stops, it's positional resolution is 0.25 microns. You cannot move the machine even though it is entirely on air-bearings (zero friction) and no friction retard mechanisms whatsoever.
From my research and talking to GM engineers I'm fairly confident that the regen paddle never causes friction braking to be engaged.
I'm fairly confident that the regen limits in the Tesla models are due to:
1. Driver controls experience and design. There is a limit on how much regen you should engage simply based on the accelerator pedal position. Hard braking via the driver momentarily letting up on the accelerator pedal would be potentionally unsafe. Hard braking should only be engaged through specific intent of the driver doing something additional through another action such as stepping on the brake pedal. GM addressed this by adding the regen paddle to allow the driver to signal the intent for engaging stronger regen.
2. On the original RWD Model S there may have been limits to how much regen can be safely taken via the rear wheels. When braking, the weight of the car naturally shifts to the front wheels. Now that Tesla has AWD this should no longer be a limitation.
3 out of 4 of our family members drive EVs every day. And I moved my laboratory to the centroid of where my staff lives, saving close to 50% gasoline used by their commuting. I offer them free EV charging and have 2 EV charger at work, but none of them has shown an interest.
I'm in California with a day one reservation. I have no idea when I'll be able to buy one. But neither do you either.
I'm married so I no longer have a need to GFM. But thanks for your concern about my prostate health.
You should get busy, there are still over 2400 more of my posts you need to Dislike, and I'm in the running for the #1 Dislike spot and honestly appreciate your assistance. Go git 'em Tiger!
I was surprised and disappointed to see @pjoseph's unkind remark. If you can't manage to have a civil disagreement here on TMC, you're certainly not going to help cool down conversations in less thoughtful fora.
I don't know McRat; haven't met McRat; frequently disagree with McRat; sometimes agree with McRat; find McRat's postings thoughtful, even when obviously plain wrong (in my opinion); but will gladly defend McRat's posting.
Have no interest in learning more about McRat's prostate, or the exact nature of the problems McRat's wife has solved for him.
(*)Geez louise...
Alan
(*)Could never have imagined when I woke up this morning that I would type a sentence like that one.
Also, I confess high positive reactions to the following:
!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!
2 EV charger - !!
No interest?!?!?! Grrrr.
Alan
!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!
2 EV charger - !!
No interest?!?!?! Grrrr.
Alan
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